American Hog Peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata)
American Hog Peanut is also known as just Hog Peanut. Amphicarpaea sometimes spelled Amphicarpa.

Plant Type: This is a vine, it is a annual. (It may sometimes be a perennial) The stem is thin and slightly pubescent.Leaves: The leaves are
alternate. Each leaf is divided into three leaflets each up to 8cm (3") long but often much smaller. The leaflets are
somewhat ovate the lateral ones asymmetrical tending to be
slightly rhombic on the outside half.Flowers:
The flowers are irregular in shape and are up to 1.8cm long (0.7 inches). They are purple tinged to completely
creamy white. Blooms first appear in late summer and continue into early fall. Flowers closely spaced in drooping racemes. There are also cleistogamous flowers with only vestigial petals from lateral
branches low on the stem resting on or under the ground.Fruit: The upper flowers form flat
pods with several seeds. The cleistogamous flowers produce a usually one seeded, indehiscent juicy fruit - the "hog
Color PhotoMore InfoClassification

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There is only one species of Amphicarpaea in the American
hemisphere though others exist in Asia and North Africa.

Lore: Many Native American people used the root for
food and especially the underground fruit or "hog peanut". Not only would they collect this "peanut" from the ground
around the plant but would rob the larders of mice that had gathered them. It is said the Dakota would leave the mice corn
or some other replacement food when they robed them of these winter stores. This fruit was apparently prized as a food.
Boiled too easily remove the hulls the fruit was then eaten like a nut.(Erichsen-Brown)

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One of the best general guides to wildflowers of the North Eastern and North Central United States. Newcomb's key
is an excellent, simple method for identifying plants. Newcomb has drawings for almost every plant mentioned that
are excellent aids to identifying the species. Though only the more common plants are covered this is often the first
book I pick up when trying to identify a wildflower.
Wildflo
wers of Tennessee the Ohio Valley and the Southern Appalachians
By: Dennis Horn and Tavia Cathcart and Thomas E. Hemmerly and David Duhl. , ISBN:1551054280

This is perhaps the best of many field guides covering this region. Featuring 446 excellent color photographs (located
with the text) and mentioning as similar to those illustrated are another 800 or so species for a total coverage of over
1,200 species. The start of each family section includes line drawings of some of the species showing important
features. The text includes the usual description, bloom season, range, habitat and additionally includes information
such as medical uses and lore and how the species was named. This is the official field guide of the Tennessee
Native Plant Society.